To close the deal in a competitive condo market, developers carefully curate model units in ways that go far beyond mere staging. Custom-designed closets, one-of-a-kind artwork, designer light fixtures and brand-name luxury goods are strategically chosen to sell the promise of a lavish lifestyle that comes with a luxury apartment. At times, the model units are created in showrooms far from building sites still abuzz with construction cranes and crews.

Developers Sell Century City’s Glamorous Past

Michael Czerwonka for The Wall Street Journal

For most, luxury living in Los Angeles evokes visions of sprawling estates. But since the 1960s, Century City has offered an alternative, exemplifying each decade’s notion of the ultimate in high-rise living. Today, with billions of dollars of investment coming to the area, developers are attempting to sell Century City’s glamorous past even as they launch new properties with lavish amenities, views and prices.

In London, Some Home Buyers Can Only Stay a Few Years

Sotheby’s International Realty

In London’s sought-after Eaton Square, a two-bedroom apartment usually sells for at least $2 million. But just listed is an elegant two-bedroom in one of the square’s coveted townhouses, with an asking price of about $863,000. The catch? The buyer will need to give it up in just over two years. The property, like most of central London’s historic apartments, is being sold on a “leasehold” basis for a fixed period of time.

Fueled by showmanship, an expansive vision and the occasional shot of tequila, Adam Neumann has propelled WeWork Cos., the New York-based office-space provider, into being one of the world’s richest startups. Others in the real-estate industry and some Silicon Valley investors say the company’s well-crafted image belies the mundane nature of its business.

HOUSE OF THE DAY A Rock Musician Finds Quiet in a Montana Retreat

Hall and Hall

Jason Newsted, formerly of Metallica, learned to paint at this 545-acre ranch.